Chapter Text
Estelle figured her life so far had been pretty uneventful.
She had toys, necessities, her mom and dad, and occasionally her older brother who could be fun when he wasn't annoying her. He thought getting on her nerves was the most hilarious thing in the world, but Estelle figured he was mostly okay too.
All that is to say, she thought her life was pretty average compared to her brother, Percy. Estelle had started kindergarten this year, and homework consisted of finding all objects on the worksheet that started with whatever letter they were learning that week. Percy on the other hand was overly frustrated at trying to read the directions on his, complaining that it's all useless and slamming his books closed.
"Percy, watch your language." Their mother chided, giving him a pointed look.
Estelle glanced up from her coloring sheet at her mother, frowning slightly. If her brother couldn't understand what his homework was saying, why was she getting mad instead of helping him? Sally always helped out with her homework when she couldn't understand.
Percy groaned loudly and pushed the books away. "What's the point of this stupid book anyway? Can't you just like tell me a summary or something? I can't even read it." He looked at their mother hopefully.
"No, Percy. I can't do the assignment for you." Sally frowned, looking at him with an unreadable expression.
Estelle noticed their mother did that sometimes. She would always look at Percy differently than she looked at her dad, or even herself. Like she couldn't decide if she should be worried or upset.
"I can help." Estelle spoke up, reaching across the table to pick up the discarded book. She frowned at the words on the front as she tried to pronounce them "Bridge To Terrible.."
"Terabithia. It's about a make-believe world." Paul cut in, closing the front door behind him as he entered.
Estelle perked up at the idea, Percy looked relieved for the information and Sally frowned even deeper as she stole another glance at her son.
Her dad entered the room and placed a kiss to the tops of her head, ruffled Percy's hair and then placed another kiss to their mother's cheek. "It's a great read for the younger kids. Teaches them about friendship, loss and family." Paul continued, taking a seat and picking up the book.
"Can you help me with the worksheet about it? You're an English teacher!" Percy exclaimed, already pulling his signature baby seal eyes. Estelle rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. Whenever he pulled that face, neither of their parents could tell him no.
Paul raised a brow and took a glance at the question sheet, "I can't give you the answers, but I suppose I can help you understand them."
Percy grinned brightly and pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!"
-
Estelle was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons when her brother came home again, slamming the door shut behind him. She still didn't know why his school life was different than hers, but she assumed it was just because he was in middle school now.
Yancy Academy sounded fancier than her own elementary school, but it also meant Percy didn't get to come home every day. The weekends and school breaks were the only times he got to come home.
It was a Friday evening, and Estelle peered over the back of the couch to get a look at him for the first time all week. He had a deep frown on his face, and his brows were pinched together in a way that made her want to hide under a blanket. Her brother looked angry about something.
"Percy, why are we slamming doors?" Sally called from the kitchen where she had been getting things ready to start on dinner.
Percy dropped his bag on the floor and kicked his shoes off. "Mr. Brunner has been pushing me harder than anyone else. He keeps telling me 'This is life or death for you, Perseus.' " He spoke, dropping his voice to imitate his teacher. "First, I don't like that he tries to intimidate me by using my full name, Second, why does he care so much about if I can understand something?" He complained, dropping dramatically onto a stool at the counter.
"Mr. Brunner is your math teacher, right?" Sally asked, looking at Percy with a frown of confusion. "Math teachers can be dramatic."
Shaking his head, Percy fixed their mother with a stern look. "Latin." He sighed, dropping his head onto the counter.
The correction made Sally pause, her eyes slightly widening. "And he told you it was 'life or death'?" She choked out, looking close to panicked.
Estelle watched them in curiosity. She didn't understand the conversation fully, but she could feel the waves of emotion rolling off their mother. It made her uneasy.
"Maybe you're right. He was just being dramatic." Percy decided, pulling himself up off the stool. "Oh, before I forget. I need you to sign this permission slip. He wants to take the class to the museum next week."
That sounded fun to Estelle, her teacher never took her class anywhere. Aside from the tiny playground around the back that was surrounded by the busy streets of the city. "I want to go to the museum too! Mom, can I come?" She begged, already off the couch and running into the dining room.
"Sorry, Gup. It's a field trip with school, not a family outing." Percy relayed, frowning at her apologetically.
Estelle scowled. She didn't understand why her brother nicknamed her after a fish, but it was annoying sometimes. He said it was because she became fascinated with the baby fish at the aquarium once, but she was two at the time and they haven't been since.
Not even when Percy supposedly made his class take a swim with the sharks once. She doesn't remember that, but it always came up when he went on rants about how getting expelled again was not his fault.
Which brought Estelle back to thinking her life seemed much less uneventful in comparison. She wondered if anything interesting like that would happen to her class on a field trip when she got older.
Noticing the unhappy look on her face, Percy smiled slightly. "But I'm sure we can probably go again another time." He offered, reaching out to flick the tip of her nose. "Paul will probably turn it into some kind of educational lesson too, so you'll get the full field trip experience." He nodded.
Estelle laughed at that. Her dad did tend to give them life lessons mixed in with everyday outings. She once complained about her favorite stuffed animal having a ripped seam and her dad went on a full speech about how things can fall apart but always be put back together. They might not look the same, but now they have a story to tell.
"Okay." Estelle agreed, swatting her brother's hand away. She then turned to her mother, who was signing her name on the permission slip. "We're going to the beach soon, right?"
Sally looked up, glancing between her two children. "Next week, yes. The start of summer."
Both children let out a loud 'whoop' and high fived each other. Estelle liked the beach because she could scout for shells to decorate her room with, but she had a feeling her brother considered the beach his second home. They could almost never get him away from the water when it was time to go.
-
Estelle spent the better part of the afternoon packing her small suitcase with everything she wanted to bring to Montauk. Swimsuits, clothes, some toys to play with in the sand. Her favorite snacks were stuffed into the front pocket, easily in reach if she wanted them in the car.
Her parents were doing much of the same, Sally taking the liberty of packing Percy's things for him since he hadn't been home to do so himself.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan, and Estelle was excited. She put on her favorite bucket hat, complete with a starfish embroidered on the front and slipped on her sandals.
It was almost time for her brother to come home and then they could finally head out to the cabin, but the sky was making Estelle frown. It was a murky gray and gave all the warning signs of a nasty storm. It had been raining almost every day since Christmas, and she really hoped it wouldn't ruin their beach trip. It was summer! Couldn't the rain just take a break by now?
The front door opened as Estelle wheeled her bag into the living room to sit it next to all the others, Percy stepping inside and tossing his backpack to the floor. She grinned at him, but Percy didn't seem to notice.
She frowned at the look on his face. Percy was always excited to go to the beach, and he knew they were leaving when he got home. Why did he look so upset?
"Mom?" Percy called, his voice shaking slightly.
Sally came rushing in at the sound of him, her eyes going wide. Estelle glanced between them and then realized that her brother seemed like he'd just been in a fight. His hair was messier than usual, his clothes a bit wrinkled and his eyes were so wide Estelle thought he'd seen a ghost.
"Percy, did something happen?" Sally asked slowly, in the tone she used when she was trying to get them to admit bad behavior.
He stood there still for a moment, his face taking on several expressions so quickly Estelle giggled a little. Percy settled on a frown and a shake of his head. "No, not really. Just wondering when we can leave." He rushed out.
Estelle nodded, also ready to leave. They had been looking forward to this trip all year.
Their mother didn't look convinced, but she decided not to press. "Just waiting on Paul to get back from the store, then we can head out." Percy looked relieved to hear it, and Estelle smiled. She knew her brother always looked forward to Montauk.
They finally made it to the cabin by the time the sun was starting to set, Percy and Estelle practically running out of the car before it was fully parked and sprinting toward the shore.
"I'm going to catch you!" Percy called, trailing behind Estelle slightly.
She squealed in delight, "Nuh uh, you'll be a sore loser like last time!" She called back, already gaining more speed and collapsing into the waves with a loud cackle. Her victory once again reigning supreme.
Percy fell in after her, a scowl on his face before turning into a laugh as a particularly larger wave crashed over his head. Estelle laughed too, mostly because his hair was now covered in seaweed, but also because it was hard for him to be mad in the water.
Estelle thought she could do anything to him but if she promptly pushed him into the sea then he wouldn't be that upset.
A loud crack of thunder broke, drowning out their laughter as they splashed around, both of them glancing toward the sky warily. Percy looked out into the ocean, as if he could sense something she couldn't.
"What?" Estelle prompted at the frown on his face.
Shaking his head, Percy looked back at her. "Nothing. We should probably go help Mom and Paul unload the car. If it storms, then the waves can get pretty rough." He explained, holding his hand out to her, pulling her up from the surf.
Estelle nodded in agreement. It was almost dinner time anyway, and she was kind of hungry after the long car ride.
She took off running back to the cabin, beating her brother yet again in their unannounced race.
-
Unfortunately, it did storm.
The pounding rain cut their smore making short and the crackers got soggy, so they came back into the cabin. Her dad tried to salvage the experience by using the stove to toast the marshmallows, but it wasn't the same. Estelle appreciated the effort but melted chocolate and soggy graham crackers weren't the best combination.
She was sitting at the coffee table with Percy as he taught her how to play Go Fish with the deck of cards he found.
"Do you have any seven's?" Percy asked, glancing up at her with a raised brow.
Estelle looked at the cards in her hand, she had a three, a six, a five, and the letter K. No seven's. "Go Fish?" she questioned as she shook her head.
Percy groaned and drew a card from the pile in the middle, frowning as he joined it with the rest of his cards.
They were getting well into their game, with Estelle having a few pairs of her own even if Percy was taking the lead. She still needed two more matches to win, but the draw pile was getting low.
A loud knocking on the door almost shook the walls, everyone glancing up from their respective games. Their parents had been playing Scrabble at the dining table, the knock causing her dad to knock some tiles into the floor.
"I'll get it." Sally announced, standing up to answer the door.
'-been searching all night!'
The voice caused Percy to look up in panic as their mother turned to him with an expression Estelle had never seen.
"Perseus. What happened today?" Sally demanded, her voice raising slightly.
Estelle and Percy both jumped, neither ever hearing their mother use that tone before.
"I-" Percy started before stopping himself and chewing on his lip.
Sally walked over with the boy from the door trailing behind her. He trembled like he was terrified of something.
"I'm going to ask you again, and I would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me." Sally spoke, fixing Percy with a look that had even Estelle trembling in her spot. She hoped she was never on the receiving end of it one day. "What. Happened?"
Percy then proceeded to launch into this elaborate story about his math teacher turning into a winged creature and something with some old ladies cutting a string. Estelle wanted to laugh because it sounded like the most obvious lie she'd ever heard, but their mother looked like she was going to be sick as she listened, even when Percy was speaking so quickly it was hard to make out just what he was saying.
"Grover what are you even doing here? How did you know I was here?" Percy asked, scowling at the boy. "And where are your pants?"
Estelle took another look at the boy and noticed that her brother was right. The boy was missing his pants, but beyond that, it looked like his legs were covered in fur. Maybe it was an older boy thing.
Something that sounded like a bear roared outside, and their mother stood straight up and glanced at the boy, Grover apparently, asking a silent question. Grover nodded then looked down.
"Get up, Percy. We need to go. Now." Sally spoke, reaching down to grab his hand.
Percy spluttered, "What? Why? We just got here!"
He didn't get to say much else as their mother handed him his raincoat and made him put on his shoes and all but pushed him out the door. She glanced back over her shoulder to her dad, "I'll explain everything when I get back, but for now just trust me."
Paul looked at her with nothing but concern and nodded.
Estelle was left sitting alone at the table with her pile of cards, hopelessly confused why her mother just rushed out of the cabin with Percy.
-
For two days the cabin at Montauk felt depressingly empty.
Estelle didn't wake to the smell of pancakes or her mother's low humming over the stove. She didn't hear the sounds of her brother's excited ramblings about the waves or his high energy stomping as he whirled around the cabin.
There was no forehead kisses from her mother when she went to sleep and there was no petulant pouting from her brother because he didn't want the day to end.
Instead, Estelle woke up to an empty kitchen and an empty bed in her shared room with Percy.
His side was always messy and his blankets were usually rumpled. This time though, Percy's side of the room was untouched save for his bags that were left unpacked, the bed perfectly made because he never got to sleep in it.
"Dad?" Estelle called, wandering the cabin looking for her father. She was a little hungry and there was no breakfast already on the table. Her dad didn't cook often, but she knew he'd never let her go without.
She finally found him on the porch, sitting on the stairs and staring out into the water. Estelle thought he looked tired, but she knew he was mostly worried.
"Just call me when you can. I'm getting concerned." He spoke into the phone before flipping it closed and turning to look at her. "Hey there, Stelle. You hungry?"
Estelle nodded, moving to sit next to her dad on the stairs. Her dad smiled, though she could tell it was more for her benefit rather than being fully genuine. It didn't look the way his smiles usually did. More like the ones he would give after a long day of work, or hours spent grading his student's tests.
Tired, Estelle decided. Her dad looked tired.
"There's a small diner up nearby we could go to. I can't cook the full spread like your mother usually does. I'll probably burn most of it." He suggested, putting a stray curl behind Estelle's ear.
"Okay." Estelle responded. She didn't feel too excited about the diner because they usually had all their meals in the cabin on beach trips. This trip was starting to not be as fun as she wanted it to be. But she was hungry, and food was food.
After taking some time to get dressed, Estelle walked into the diner with her dad, settling into an odd colored booth with the paper menu and the little pack of crayons for the activities on the back.
It was an odd little place, nothing like she'd been in before. Her family didn't eat out often, but when they did it was usually takeout to have at home or a small sweets shop for ice cream. Estelle could remember eating a meal inside a restaurant exactly once. Percy had been in charge of walking her home from preschool before he went to Yancy, and he suggested they get pizza.
Sitting inside the greasy dining room eating cheese pizza, getting sauce all over her fingers had been really fun. Mostly because Percy spent more time trying to get what he called 'The Cheese Pull' really long, only to frown when it broke halfway through.
It made Estelle frown. She missed her brother and the way he would play with his food to make her laugh. He once put an orange peel over his teeth so when he smiled all you could see was the peel, she'd laughed so hard her apple juice came out her nose. Their mother scolded him for playing with his food, but she didn't seem all that mad about it.
She hadn't been paying attention but apparently her breakfast had arrived, her dad taking the liberty to order for her. It was a pancake the size of her plate with two eggs and a piece of bacon on top to make a smiley face. She also received a small bowl of fruit on the side, filled with strawberries and blueberries.
"It's not blue." Estelle noted, staring at the golden pancake like it personally offended her. Pancakes were always blue.
Her dad looked up from his plate of waffles, which Estelle noted were also not blue. "No, they aren't." He agreed, frowning slightly at her unhappy expression.
"Why? They're supposed to be blue." Estelle questioned, her eyes going impossibly wide at the bizarre colored food spread amongst their table.
"Well, this is what pancakes and waffles usually look like." Her dad explained, pointing between their plates. "Making them blue is something that only your mother does. It was something she started when Percy was little."
Estelle blinked at him. "Like the cookies?"
Her dad nodded. "Like the cookies."
-
The third day at the cabin is when Estelle knows something is wrong.
She's woken up early enough that it's still dark outside and before she knows it, she's being wrapped in her raincoat and scooped up into her dad's arms as they rush outside.
There's a car waiting for them, and Estelle gets very hopeful her mom and Percy came back to join them to finish their vacation. She's only half awake but excited nonetheless. "Mommy!" She squeals, a bright grin forming on her face.
Estelle is put into the backseat, her dad buckling her in before climbing in beside her. She looks next to her where Percy usually sat, frowning before realizing he isn't there, only to frown further when she notices the person driving is an older man and not her mother.
The car is a little odd, and there's a box above the radio that has numbers on it. Her dad tells the driver something she feels like she should know but doesn't have the attention span to remember at the moment.
Rain splatters against the window as Estelle glances at the passing buildings, two water drops sliding slowly down the glass. One picks up speed and she can't help but think they're trying to race. A small smile forms on her lips as the smaller water drop made it to the bottom before the bigger one, and she thinks of a couple days ago when she raced her brother to the shore and beat him too.
The memory makes her frown again. This beach vacation wasn't fun anymore and Estelle didn't understand why her mother would just take Percy and leave. She had to come back, right? She wouldn't just leave her and her dad behind?
She isn't sure how much time goes by, but the lights from the city start to approach. Estelle recognizes some of the buildings which means they must be going back home, she doesn't know whether to be happy or disappointed about that fact.
Maybe her mom and Percy were at home and needed them to come back, which she was happy to see them again. But that would also mean the trip to Montauk was over and Estelle didn't want that to happen either.
A golden glow started to stretch between the skyscrapers, indicating the sun was rising. It painted the sky in oranges and pinks beneath the storm clouds Estelle had never seen before. The morning was usually much brighter when she got up for the day, so this was new and interesting.
When the car finally came to a stop, she watched blearily as her dad pulled out his wallet and paid the driver before unbuckling them and leading her out of the car. The more aware Estelle became, the more she realized her dad was in a hurry, or he was panicked. He had the same crease in his brow he got when stressing over lesson plans or deadlines for test preparations.
They were approaching a building that she quickly realized was the one that lead to their apartment, and she watched her dad raise a shaking hand as he fumbled to open the door and pull her inside. The elevator was only a few more steps away, and Estelle hopped in, quickly pressing the number 5 and watched it light up before grinning up her father, proud of herself.
Her parents were starting to let her do more 'grown up' things, like pressing elevator buttons or handing their card to a cashier at the store to pay. It made her feel giddy when she got to do it, and she wondered when she'd be able to get to do more things. Percy was only twelve and he got to ride the subway on his own or told to take her out of the house sometimes.
Estelle wondered how much older she had to be to be able to take the subway on her own. She'd only been on it once that she can remember, when her brother picked her up from school when their parents had a long workday. It was loud and busy, and she remembered how Percy would tell her they had to get on and off quickly and to never let go of his hand because people liked to shove you around. The dark tunnels and the fast pace of the train had been a little scary, but Estelle found herself wanting to get on every subway train Manhattan had to offer after they got off.
Even if they all had a strange man in a costume dancing in the aisle of the seats or a woman swinging from the handrail belting out showtunes. It was a bit weird to Estelle, but she found it to be amusing all the same. Percy didn't seem at all surprised, as if it were just another day in the city and he'd see something stranger in five minutes.
The elevator doors chimed and then opened, revealing the scuffed hallway leading to their apartment and Estelle almost took off in a run, but she restrained herself. 'Never run off from us sweetheart, you don't want to get hurt.' Her mother's voice rang in her head.
It was really, really, hard not to run though, and her body vibrated with energy to do just that as she heard her father calling her name behind her. The apartment wasn't far, and she watched the numbers on the doors climb the farther she went before skidding to a stop at the one with brass numbers 513 labeling their door.
She turned with a wide smile to her dad, only to see the look of worry on his face and it slowly faded from her face.
"Stelle, what have we told you about running away from us?" He scolded, a frown so deep it formed a wrinkle on the corner of his mouth.
Estelle blinked before looking down at her shoes, "That I could get hurt." She murmured, picking at the hem of her shorts. It's not often that she gets in trouble or even scolded by her parents, but it still didn't feel good to disappoint them with her behavior. Even if she didn't mean to cause any harm.
Her dad's face softened a bit as he kneeled down to her level. "That's right. This city can be dangerous. You're very tiny compared to how big it is, and we just want you to be more careful. I know you get into the habit of racing with Percy, but I need you to be more aware sweetheart."
Something in the way he spoke made Estelle snap her head up and frown. He didn't sound angry with her for running, if she were to really analyze the look on his face she could almost say he sounded sad.
Estelle nodded slowly, showing she understood before he unlocked the door and ushered her inside.
-
The next few weeks were some of the strangest Estelle had ever experienced.
It started shortly after they arrived back home from Montauk, with neighbors, strangers and news reporters coming to their house to ask about her mother and brother. Her dad had done his best to send them away, give vague answers or ignore them all together.
Then newspapers and flyers were pushed under their door or taped to the walls of their building with pictures of their family on the front pages, but more importantly pictures of her mother and Percy. It was odd to see their faces in the papers and not at home, and even odder how they got such pictures when Estelle was pretty sure her dad never gave them to anyone.
Things got even stranger one morning when she was watching the Saturday morning cartoons, only to have them interrupted with emergency news.
'Reports from eyewitness accounts are saying that missing juvenile Percy Jackson was spotted fleeing from the area with two unidentified juveniles as the passengers were given the clear to reboard the bus.'
"Dad!" Estelle shrieked, the name of her brother coming from the lady on the television sparking her attention. Percy was missing?
The sound of rushed footsteps filled the room as her father came in. "What is it Stelle, what's wrong?" He asked in concern, glancing at her with wide eyes.
Estelle pointed at the screen, which was now showing a plump man with a stained shirt sitting on a couch in the messiest room she'd ever seen.
'I wouldn't be surprised if the brat had something to do with his mother's disappearance. He was always making trouble and Sally coddled him too much. I warned her that one day his violent behavior would get out of hand, she never listened and kept insisting she could handle it. The brat needed discipline and now look what happened. He murdered his mother and ran away.'
The news reporter came back to the screen and showed pictures of Percy again, one looked like a school photo and the other was one someone took of him running away from the bus accident. Estelle frowned in disgust at the mean things that man said about her brother. Who was he anyway? What did he know about her family to say such wrong things?
"Dad, who was that man? What did he mean by Percy being violent? Why are they saying he's missing?" Estelle asked her father, looking at him with wide eyes. An uncomfortable pit formed in her stomach at the words she'd heard. Her mother looked scared and worried as she left the cabin with Percy, and he looked more disappointed than angry. She knew they seemed to be worried about something, but Estelle didn't think they were missing.
Even worse was now she saw photos of her brother on the news with two other kids and her mother was nowhere to be seen, which meant wherever he was, her mother wasn't. Did something happen to her mother, and Percy thought it was better to run away on his own? Was he scared to come home?
Her father shifted his weight and swallowed heavily. "That man you saw was just telling lies, sweetheart. He was very mean to your mother and Percy before you were born. Nothing he said was true." He spoke, a wrinkle of worry creasing between his brows. "And I suppose they said he's missing because, technically, he is."
That took Estelle by surprise, and she dropped the granola bar she'd been snacking on. "What? What do you mean? I thought he was with mom?"
Paul ran a hand down his face and walked over to sit next to her on the couch, his mouth pressed together in a thin line. "Stelle," He sighed, looking across her face before dropping his shoulders. "I suppose I can't hide it from you anymore. But your mother and Percy were in an accident the night the left the cabin. Someone found the car completely wrecked, but there was no sign of them anywhere around it."
Estelle felt her eyes stinging from tears. "They're okay right? We just saw Percy on tv, that means mom is near him too, right?"
Her dad frowned. "I don't know. All we can do is hope that they come back to us soon."
"Maybe we can go on the news too and tell them Percy isn't mean and that mom is the best." She suggested, feeling a bit angry about the man who lied about her family. She didn't know him, but she got a feeling he was some kind of bully. Percy hated bullies, and he taught her how to stand up for herself if he couldn't do it for her.
Estelle thought maybe this time she could stand up for him too.
"That sounds like a great idea." He nodded, pulling her into a hug.
-
Life seemed to only get a bit weirder after that.
More reports of her brother being spotted came out, one woman saying he jumped out of some arch in Missouri, a man saying he saw him with the two kids and an older man outside of a diner, and then apparently someone else said he was walking around in Las Vegas with a zebra?
None if it made any sense to Estelle and she thought it was a bit ridiculous. Her dad told her that sometimes when there's a missing person, people will report seeing them in all sorts of places, even if it isn't actually them.
For all they knew, it was just random boys who looked similar to her brother, but not actually her brother. Estelle was inclined to believe that idea the most, because Percy couldn't drive and there's no way he could get all the way to Las Vegas on his own. It seemed too silly.
Even stranger, the weather started to get worse. The clouds were dark and it stormed constantly. Thunder would crack so loudly it rattled the windows, causing Estelle to jump in her skin as the heavy rain splattered against the glass.
Another week went by of people coming up to them to ask invasive questions or accuse them of hurting their family. One man even tried to fight her dad when they left to get pizza and accused him of housing a criminal.
"My brother is not mean!" Estelle cried, stomping her foot and balling her fists as she glared at the man in her father's face. The man didn't seem to care about her opinion and continued to point his finger into her dad's chest, and Estelle stepped forward and stomped her foot down on the man's toes. "Leave my dad alone!"
The man yelped as he staggered back and glared at her, sending an ugly look back at her father but turned and walked away. Estelle felt proud of herself as she crossed her arms and stared at the back of the man's head as he continued down the street.
She couldn't help it though, people saying mean things or treating her family so rudely filled her with this overwhelming feeling of anger. Estelle had to stick up for her dad from that man. Her dad didn't seem to be all that disappointed in her for acting out either, which was another win in Estelle's book.
Unfortunately, they did have to leave the idea of getting pizza behind and settled for calling in instead. It was easier than running into more people voicing their opinions on the matter of their family.
Estelle found herself curled on the couch way past her bedtime later that night, blinking at the television screen. She had been watching cartoons but the channel changed to grown up shows because it was so late. The show playing was probably older than her because it didn't have color and her dad liked to watch old movies like that.
The show however was interrupted when she rolled over on the remote and accidentally changed the channel to what looked like a beach. Estelle frowned, blinking slowly at the screen. It made her miss Montauk and the short vacation they got to have before everything ended so fast.
She was really tired and the beach on the screen was dark, but Estelle could make out the outlines of people holding something shiny. At least she thinks it was shiny, all she saw was gold flashes really.
A camera angle changed to somewhere closer to the ground, and Estelle saw a boy standing in the water, pointing a sword toward a taller man who was definitely three times his size. Estelle blinked again and she saw a girl with curly hair run up to the boy and kiss his cheek.
This show was weird or maybe Estelle was just too tired, but a bright light hovered over the boy in the water, and she could have sworn it was Percy. Or someone who looked like him. She missed her brother a lot.
Suddenly, the boy and older man were fighting, swinging swords around stumbling in the sand. She giggled when the older man fell into the ocean only to get swallowed by a tall wave.
Estelle closed her eyes for a minute and then opened them back to see the boy, no, Percy, on the screen. She sat straight up and blinked at the image of his face as he talked about being scared of the man and needing help getting back home to New York.
He also said something about free furniture which made her giggle too because it made no sense.
Maybe she really was that tired.
-
Estelle woke to a crashing sound and a sharp yelp a few hours later, causing her to open her eyes and blink into the dark living room. Her dad must have fallen asleep at his desk again if she was still on the couch.
"Stelle, you alright?" Her dad called from his office.
She sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she turned toward the noise of the sound. A loud gasp escaped her mouth as she recognized who else was there.
"Mom!" Estelle cried as she bolted from the couch to her mother.
Her loud exclamation caught her father's attention because he came bolting into the room to see for himself. "Sally!" Paul sighed in relief, also making his way over to her and wrapping them both in a hug.
"Oh, my baby!" Sally cooed, pulling Estelle closer to her in a tight hug before raising her head to kiss Paul on the cheek. "It's so good to see you too, dear."
"Where have you been? What happened? What's going on?" Paul rambled question after question, a frantic tone in his voice.
Estelle looked up at her mother. "We saw Percy on the news, and some man called him a brat and last night I watched him fight someone with a sword on a beach!"
Her mother looked worried about that prospect and turned to give a strange look to her dad, but Estelle just shrugged it off and looked around the apartment for her brother. If her mom was back, maybe he was too.
Unfortunately, she didn't get past the living room as her dad scooped her up and said they were going grocery shopping. It was early in the morning so the nearest shop would only open right when they got there and apparently, they didn't have enough left in the fridge to make breakfast for everyone.
She wanted to stay home with her mom after not seeing her for weeks, but her dad insisted they should give her some time alone to get settled back in and they would have plenty of time to pester Sally when they returned. Estelle reluctantly agreed. She wanted one of those bagels from the deli in the back of their nearest shop anyway.
As if Estelle's day couldn't get any better, she saw Percy walking away from their apartment when they got back a couple hours later. They ended up having to go across the city to a bigger store because the one nearby was closed so the owner could travel.
"Percy!" She yelled in excitement, rushing away from her dad and down the street to her brother. It had to be him, even if she could only see the back of the boy, she knew it was him.
He turned around with a furrowed brow and Estelle watched as his entire face broke out into a grin as he kneeled and held his arms open, ready to catch her.
Estelle barreled into her brother with a delighted cackle and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
"Hey, Guppy. It's good to see you." Percy greeted as he pulled away and ruffled her hair.
She swatted his hand away and flattened her hair back down. "Are you coming for breakfast? Mom's upstairs waiting for us to come back with groceries."
Percy looked at her with a small frown on his face and his eyes flicked to someone behind her. "I can't right now, Gup. There's something else I have to do first, but I'll be back home tonight." He reached down to boop the tip of her nose teasingly. Percy glanced behind her shoulder again and Estelle realized he was looking at her dad. "Mom and I will explain everything later, but this is kind of important."
Her dad nodded with a furrowed brow of confusion. "I'm glad to see you back home safe, Perce." He said before reaching out to pat Percy on the shoulder.
Estelle gave her brother a sad goodbye and watched him walk away before heading back up to their apartment
-
She knew she wasn't supposed to be listening to the conversation, her parents sending her to her room was indicative of that. But Estelle couldn't help it. She was curious and wanted to know what happened to her family in the weeks they were gone!
Estelle couldn't pick up much of it, but she watched from the hallway as Percy fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt and her mother looked anxious.
"I'm sorry, run that by me one more time?" Her father said, rubbing his temples with his fingers as if he were staving off a migraine.
Percy frowned, his eyes just looked sad as he glanced at Paul across the table. "It's okay if you don't believe me. I don't blame you. I can just stay at camp and be out of the way, there's other year-rounders."
Her mother gasped and reached for Percy's hand. "Honey, no. You can absolutely stay at home if you want to. It's just a lot for someone to take in." She narrowed her eyes at Paul. "Right?"
Estelle frowned at hearing her brother say he would live away from home, she didn't want that. It was strange enough he went to school and couldn't come home, but to live in a camp when he had a perfectly good home? That didn't make sense to her.
"Yeah, no. I'm sorry Perce. I just need a minute to process. You said your father is who now?" Paul questioned, still rubbing his head and looking bewildered.
Her mother's mouth twitched and Percy bit his lip. "Poseidon."
"Right, that's what I thought you said." Her father acknowledged, sighing into his hands. "This isn't a prank?"
Percy looked at their mother in defeat. "I told you this was a bad idea. He thinks I'm a freak, just like Gabe." He sulked in his chair looking hurt.
"Perseus Jackson." Sally scolded, and Estelle knew he was in trouble. She never used his full name unless she was upset. It was always 'Percy' or 'Perce'. Never 'Perseus'. "You know better than that."
"I can prove it." Percy sat straight up in his chair, glaring at her father with stormy eyes.
Paul glanced between them worriedly, like he wasn't sure what to believe.
Estelle didn't know who Gabe was, but from the nasty way her brother said his name, it couldn't have been a nice person. She briefly had a flash of that ugly man on the tv that called him a brat and a criminal, and her dad said he was a man who was mean to her family before she was born. Was that Gabe? Estelle certainly didn't think very highly of him, and she's never met the guy.
Percy closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, and Estelle's eyes widened in alarm as she heard the pipes groaning in the walls, the brass rattling against the plaster in rapid motion. The faucet in the sink turned on and Estelle watched as a wide grin split her brother's face.
"Okay." Paul said slowly, watching the faucet turn on and then off by itself a few times. "That's a little.."
"Freaky?" Percy suggested, raising a brow. Sally tried to suppress a smile at his antics.
Paul shook his head and glanced between them again, his face settling into something softer. "You're serious about this aren't you? You were really in the underworld and he's really the son of the king.."
"Poseidon." Percy corrected, jolting in alarm. "The sea god. Not the king of gods. I'd like to not be obliterated if you wouldn't mind." He spoke in panic as thunder rolled across the sky.
Estelle jumped at the sound, almost knocking into the wall and giving away her eavesdropping.
"Right, sorry. So, does that make you a god or something?" Paul questioned, looking lost with new information.
Estelle couldn't blame him, she was a bit lost too, but this seemed really important and she missed her family. She wanted to be there for them.
"Demigod." Percy explained, wincing at the choice of words her father spoke. "Like in mythology. I can do some things that fall under my father's domain, but I am still mortal."
This conversation just got weirder and weirder and Estelle felt like she was hallucinating or hearing some elaborate bedtime story.
"Alright. I'll admit it's a lot to take in, but I'm sure I can digest it soon." Paul reassured, and Estelle watched her brother burst into tears at the acceptance.
Was her brother really a Demigod? What did that even mean?
Sally also had tears running down her cheeks as she leaned over to comfort Percy and then hug Paul and thank him for understanding.
"What about Estelle?" Her father asked and Estelle perked up at the sound of her name.
She watched Percy frown again as he wiped his eyes on the back of his hands. "I don't want her to know. It will be too dangerous and she's too young to understand. Maybe one day, but knowing this stuff, it changes your entire life. I don't even fully get it and I just spent weeks living it. Let her be a kid." He spoke emphatically.
Estelle was sad to learn her brother didn't want to share this with her, but now here she was, listening into the conversation and learning it anyway. Her brother was a demigod, and she knew that was important to know, but she didn't know why.
As she walked back to her room, Estelle promised to use this secret to help Percy somehow. Maybe one day he would need her, and she would know this about him. She also promised to never tell another soul about it.
Percy didn't want to share his secret to protect her, but Estelle wouldn't let him go through it alone.